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I have seen the moronic commercials on WRAL for months and am getting a little tired of them. I understand that Capital wants to be paid, but if they are not careful, they will price themselves out of their own market.

Specifically, if they play this game of chicken too much longer and force D* to remove the channels, we as users will just get our programming from somewhere else, e.g., online (legally and "not-so" legally) or just watch other networks.

The biggest loss for me will be the 11 PM nightly news, but honestly, I could just as well watch 11 (I'll be caught dead before I watch 17 @ 11 PM regularly).

We don't need these channels and can certainly learn to live w/o 'em. At the end of the day, I am NOT willing to pay more for these these two channels.

I agree, why is WRAL doing this. This is a free over the air channel. Why charge companies to carry your signal that you send out for free. The station makes its money from advertising that is on its channel.

I also love what they say on there site. They say they are the most popular channel on Directv.

Local affiliates make very little of their money from advertising; most of the expensive ads are during prime time. They pay the networks for that programming, they pay for the syndicated programs too. And they have to run a 500,000 watt transmitter... that's a heck of an electric bill. (That's right, I said heck!) And then DIRECTV or other pay-tv companies can remove their commercials and put in different ones any time.

Not that I sympathize with these TV stations, only pointing out that making money as a TV station isn't as easy as some make it sound.

Opinions expressed by me are my own and do not necessarily reflect
those of DBSTalk.com, DIRECTV, DISH, The Signal Group, or any other company.

I also love what they say on there site. They say they are the most popular channel on Directv.

If WRAL is the highest-rated local channel in the Raleigh/Durham market, then that would make them the most popular channel on DirecTV in the Raleigh/Durham market.

Actually, they might also be lumping themselves in with CBS as a whole, which, based on it being the highest-rated broadcast network, would therefore be the most popular channel on DirecTV nationally (via its various affiliates).

I agree, why is WRAL doing this. This is a free over the air channel. Why charge companies to carry your signal that you send out for free. The station makes its money from advertising that is on its channel.

I also love what they say on there site. They say they are the most popular channel on Directv.

You can also go outside and setup a barrel to collect free rainwater, but if you want it conveniently piped into your house, you pay the local municipal water supply to bring you what was available for free outside (or pay to dig a well - or put up a TV antenna - your choice).

Local affiliates make very little of their money from advertising; most of the expensive ads are during prime time. They pay the networks for that programming, they pay for the syndicated programs too. And they have to run a 500,000 watt transmitter... that's a heck of an electric bill. (That's right, I said heck!) And then DIRECTV or other pay-tv companies can remove their commercials and put in different ones any time.

Not that I sympathize with these TV stations, only pointing out that making money as a TV station isn't as easy as some make it sound.

I worked in a couple of TV stations back in the early 60's when the networks paid the stations to carry their programming. Back then I got the impression that owning a TV station was like having a license to print money.Then I believe it was Fox that got the bright idea of making the affiliates pay for the privilege of carrying their programming. It didn't take long before all 4 were doing it. And the networks want the affiliates to pay them a portion of the fees they get from Directv and Dish.This helps explain the endless commercials we have to put up with.

I have not been a fan of WRAL for a long time. The only things I watch are the CBS SEC football and basketball games (when WRAL does not pre-empt them for regional broadcasts of ACC games), NCIS, and NCIS LA. I think WTVD (11) has much better local news, and there is nothing else to draw me to CBS or WRAL.

That said, I can get both WRAL and WFMY (Greensboro 2) OTA, and on a good day I can get WNCT (Greenville 9, which used to be the only way I could watch SEC games on CBS), so if WRAL goes dark on DirecTV, it is not a big deal to me. Let WRAL go under.

I am not a big fan of FOX, either. The only thing I watch on WRAZ is Bones, but I can get WRAZ OTA, too.

I worked in a couple of TV stations back in the early 60's when the networks paid the stations to carry their programming. Back then I got the impression that owning a TV station was like having a license to print money.Then I believe it was Fox that got the bright idea of making the affiliates pay for the privilege of carrying their programming. It didn't take long before all 4 were doing it. And the networks want the affiliates to pay them a portion of the fees they get from Directv and Dish.This helps explain the endless commercials we have to put up with.

Precisely. At one time a TV station was an easy money maker. Not so today.

Opinions expressed by me are my own and do not necessarily reflect
those of DBSTalk.com, DIRECTV, DISH, The Signal Group, or any other company.

If it is the same antenna they gave away when the analog signal went dark, it is a UHF only antenna. It works well for all of the local channels except WTVD, which reverted back to the VHF channel 11 after the digital conversion.

I still have my VHF/UHF antenna in the attic from before the locals were available on DirecTV and have no problem getting all of the local channels plus some of the Greensboro channels.

I see that Time Warner Cable dropping NBC 17 is even a greater possibility than DirecTV dropping WRAL and WRAZ. I would rather see all three dropped than see DirecTV and TWC giving in to the demands of these stations. I believe that DirecTV and TWC are doing the stations a favor by getting their signals to more viewers. If the channels go dark on DirecTV or TWC, it is the stations that lose viewers, and therefore, advertisement dollars. When will they learn?

It is not really a problem for us. I can get the network shows on demand from my Roku box. A laptop with a HDMI cable would work also. I would think these stations made pretty good money from political advertising this year.

I see that Time Warner Cable dropping NBC 17 is even a greater possibility than DirecTV dropping WRAL and WRAZ. I would rather see all three dropped than see DirecTV and TWC giving in to the demands of these stations. I believe that DirecTV and TWC are doing the stations a favor by getting their signals to more viewers. If the channels go dark on DirecTV or TWC, it is the stations that lose viewers, and therefore, advertisement dollars. When will they learn?

Here in Greenville NC, Time Warner and WNCT 9s contract expires 12/31.WNCT is a media general station just like WNCN NBC 17.

I ordered the free (with $10 shipping) HD antenna. Works well for every channel except WTVD.

I'll have to agree to disagree with the earlier poster regarding the news on WRAL vs. WTVD. I've always thought WRAL was better.

If WRAL does leave the DirecTV menu on Jan. 1, would DTV make WFMY (CBS affiliate in Greensboro) available? Although it shows up on my guide, I can't watch anything on WFMY. But, for some reason, I can receive WGHP (the Triad Fox affiliate.

I ordered the free (with $10 shipping) HD antenna. Works well for every channel except WTVD.

I'll have to agree to disagree with the earlier poster regarding the news on WRAL vs. WTVD. I've always thought WRAL was better.

If WRAL does leave the DirecTV menu on Jan. 1, would DTV make WFMY (CBS affiliate in Greensboro) available? Although it shows up on my guide, I can't watch anything on WFMY. But, for some reason, I can receive WGHP (the Triad Fox affiliate.

I "think" most customers in the western part of Wake County get channel 2 and can watch the programing. Do you get some sort of on screen message?

If WRAL does leave the DirecTV menu on Jan. 1, would DTV make WFMY (CBS affiliate in Greensboro) available? Although it shows up on my guide, I can't watch anything on WFMY. But, for some reason, I can receive WGHP (the Triad Fox affiliate.

DirecTV cannot authorize anyone in the RDU DMA to receive WFMY, regardless of whether DirecTV carries WRAL. Because of WRAL's exclusivity agreement with CBS, it is WRAL or nothing from DirecTV or DISH; however, there is nothing to prevent you from watching WFMY OTA. In Cary, I can receive both WFMY and WRAL OTA. In Durham, you should definitely be able to get WFMY OTA, and you can probably get WRAL.

I "think" most customers in the western part of Wake County get channel 2 and can watch the programing. Do you get some sort of on screen message?

If it's a network program, it says that it "is blacked out on this channel." If it's a local program, it says "not available in your area." Really doesn't make sense considering I get even Fox network programming on WGHP.

I see that Time Warner Cable dropping NBC 17 is even a greater possibility than DirecTV dropping WRAL and WRAZ. I would rather see all three dropped than see DirecTV and TWC giving in to the demands of these stations. I believe that DirecTV and TWC are doing the stations a favor by getting their signals to more viewers. If the channels go dark on DirecTV or TWC, it is the stations that lose viewers, and therefore, advertisement dollars. When will they learn?

You might want to learn exactly what happens to advertising dollars before stating "When will THEY learn?".